How she had dragged herself this far in her state was anyone’s guess. The nausea had hit her hard and fast, and once pleasant smells left her wretching. Her stomach hurt from heaving, she had a headache she couldn’t shake and she couldn’t stop peeing. If anyone had thought to warn her this was the way pregnancy would be, she would have dosed herself with enough birth control to never run the risk of potentially falling pregnant at all.

That wasn’t even touching on the mood swings. Otis had hissed at her earlier in the day, and instead of just scowling back she could feel the tears prickling at the backs of her eyes. Her companion was likewise floored, his soft concerned sound afterwards pushing her over the edge into a full blown bawling mess. That was why she was out here in the first place, “Me firstborn fer some fuckin’ mint!” She lamented to herself, turning her face into the wind that blew over the cliff edge, carrying the fresh scent of salt and distant rain… and…

It didn’t matter what the smell was, her stomach was having none of it and she indelicately threw her head down with jaws parted to vomit grass laced bile over the very romantic cliff edge. A very bitter part of her hoped it might hit someone.

“Speech”

we wear red so they don’t see us bleed

Raijin had quite enjoyed his time with Sedna the weeks prior and a part of him wanted to seek her out for another go. It had been a good while since he’d fooled around with anyone and he found he’d missed the intimacy that came with it, even if it was just a quick fling. Thus, he was quite pleased when her scent wafted over to him on the breeze when he was doing a quick round of the Abaven border. That pleasure quickly turned into a bit of panic when an unmistakable scent mixed with it. Surely not, though, he thought. He’d been careful and he could have sworn Sedna had said that she was taking precautions…hadn’t she? Or had he made that assumption due to her status as a healer?

The man abandoned the border and followed after her scent, arriving just in time to see her spew a puke rainbow over the side of the cliff. “Nice aim, you got some distance with that one,” he mused, trying to hide the nervousness behind his voice. ”Did you eat some bad fish?” he inquired, hoping to be right.

"Genji Raijin"

It had to be her imagination, surely? Even if it was just a phantom voice on the wind, Sedna bristled, the crystal spikes around her neck standing on end and a low grumble laced the word, her displeasure evident, though it lacked any direct venom. “You!” Tears prickled the backs of her eyes as her stomach flipping again, empty for now, leaving little but the feeling of burning at the back of her throat. She didn’t want to cry, she wanted to be angry! But her raging hormones had other plans as her legs gave out beneath her and she let loose a frustrated sob. “‘S’not fish!” She sniffled and chewed on a mouthful of grass.

It certainly wasn’t supposed to go like this, at least not the way she imagined it. Her mother had always made it look so easy. “So uh,” she tried to get herself back under control, even a little bit. “Surprise?”

The way in which Sedna rounded on him threw him aback, his steps coming to a sudden halt as his brows rose. In her bright eyes he could see a plethora of emotions swishing about; anger, sadness, ickiness, and more. It made his brows draw together and the man step forward once again as a sob wracked her color-splashed body. He’d certainly never seen her like this before, so emotional and unkempt, but he’d seen other females like this and it only further set a stone in his stomach.
She gave him a withered, watery look as bits of grass clung to her lips from her frantic chomping, then uttered the words ‘surprise’, and the large man had to sit down. A part of him wanted to ask her if she was sure they were his, but from what he had gleaned, Sedna was a smart woman. Surely she would know. The Genji man took in a deep, shuddering breath then steeled himself. “I’ve been on all sorts of adventures in my life, I guess I’m in for another one,” he said. “Is there anything you need from me?” for the moment, all he wanted was to make sure the mother of his children was comfortable and taken care of. He would iron out their relationship, whatever it was, in the future.

"Genji Raijin"

He was so casual about it, a surprised laugh left her chest and she breathed deeply to try and keep the goddamn tears away. “S’not like I came out here lookin’ fer yer. Yer don’t have ter make this yer problem.” Any sharpness had left her voice, and her head canted to the side ever so slightly, wondering just what the hell she had gotten herself into here. When he asked if there was anything she needed, some of her spark came back, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth, “A hug’d be nice…an’ if yer know where there’s any mint I haven’t decimated yet… I think I’ve got enough ginger ter get me through another day of this deershit.” She supposed they had much to discuss now the cat was out of the bag. Logistics and such, if she was reading his want to be involved correctly. Sedna Archer-Lyall #1 possum mom (and regular mom too)

Raijin had to admit, he felt a bit better when a laugh bubbled out of Sedna’s chest. She told him that it didn’t have to be ‘his problem’, but Raijin had always known he’d never wanted to be an absentee father. His parents had been serious and righteous and rarely there and he didn’t want that for any broods that he sired. It hadn’t been in his plan to had kids like this, but perhaps there was something greater in the works. He wasn’t a religious man, but the thought that there was some divine, greater purpose in the world for all that happened had always sounded nice to him. “Obviously I hadn’t planned for this to happen, but I’ve always wanted pups at some point anyways and I know that I want to be a part of their lives. So unless you beat me away with a hive of bees on a stick, you aren’t getting rid of me easily,” he replied, finishing it off with a wink because serious situations weren’t his forte.

Sedna let him know that a hug was on her list of needs, as well as mint, with a smirk on her face. The man needed no further prompting, closing the space between them and wrapping the galaxy-coated healer in a firm hug. She was only an inch shorter than him, so really not shorter at all, but he tried his best to envelope her, his teeth preening the base of her skull when his head was cast over her shoulder. “I can go see if I can borrow some from Abaven’s stores. The kids can always gather and plant more, it’ll be good practice,” he told her, one of his paws gently rubbing her back in comfort. Their lives were about to change, and Sedna would be taking the brunt of it. He hoped she could at least feel like she could lean on him for support.

"Genji Raijin"

“Hive o’ bees on a stick, I’ll have ter remember that.” She joked. It was growing increasingly common for her to be half way to somewhere and straight up forget why she had gotten up in the first place, which then often resulted in frustrated tears and more vomiting. Although Sedna supposed Otis would be within earshot and would probably be taking notes for her. The possum had been ridiculously protective since her new situation had resolved itself.

The Archer-Lyall allowed her eyes to drift shut when paws wrapped about her in a hug, a warm grumble leaving her chest at the strategic preening that made her bones want to melt. For a moment at least, it felt like the world was slowing in its incessant rocking and maybe she wouldn’t throw up for a few more minutes yet.

“Abaven? Tha’s th’ one with th’ school isn’t it?” She’d only heard snippets here and there, but it had caught her attention at the end of the day. “I might ‘ave somethin’ ter trade fer it, if they don’t know what it’s for, they’ll have a good time figurin’ it out.” She offered with a smirk, it wasn’t like she would be caught short offering up a little of what she had in mind.

“Speech”

we wear red so they don’t see us bleed

True to form, Sedna fired back a witty remark as she sank into his embrace and a deep, baritone chuckle vibrated through his chest. The pleased grumble that followed from her only fueled his preening, nosing his way along her prickly neck and the base of her ears. A spark of desire warmed his chest but he pushed it away, knowing now wasn’t the time for that. Maybe later…she offered up a question about Abaven and he pulled back a little to see her face properly. He offered a nod in confirmation, “I went on behalf of Hattori and Ashen…though, now that he’s left to make his own pack, I suppose there’s not much point in me staying. But I do like the thought of teaching.” The Genji man had always been pretty good with kids, a child at heart himself to the eyes of most on the outside, and teaching had never been an issue to him.

Her expression turned impish and he raised a brow in question, a suspicious squint coming to his golden gaze. “What’s in this trade, trickster?” he asked, though he couldn’t hide the amused smirk that tilted the edges of his lips.

"Genji Raijin"